How to build the perfect cheese board

A cheese board is one of the best things you can put in front of your guests. No complicated recipe, no hours in the kitchen, yet still seriously impressive. All you need is a good selection of cheeses and a few accompaniments. But how do you choose that selection?

How much cheese per person?

Plan on about 150 to 200 grams of cheese per person if the cheese board is the main event of the evening. Serving it as a finish after a meal? Then 80 to 100 grams is plenty.

Choose at least 3 cheeses and no more than 5 or 6. Too few and there’s nothing to explore. Too many and it becomes overwhelming.

The golden rule: variety in everything

A great cheese board has contrast on three levels:

• Texture: combine a soft cheese with a hard cheese and something in between
• Flavor: from mild to bold, with something sweet or nutty in the mix
• Origin: mix Dutch with French, Italian or English for a sense of discovery

Want to know more about the basics of Dutch cheese? Read our article on what Gouda cheese actually is and discover the difference with real farmhouse cheese.

An example cheese board with 5 cheeses

This is a combination that always works:

• Soft and creamy: cream brie or a Brie de Meaux. Oozy, mild, and a crowd-pleaser.
• Semi-hard and characterful: a Noord-Hollands extra mature. The backbone of your board.
• Hard and intense: Parmigiano Reggiano broken into chunks. Pure umami.
• Blue and bold: Blue Shropshire. Stunning to look at with that orange hue, and a milder blue than Roquefort.
• The wildcard: truffle cheese. Always a conversation starter.

The right accompaniments make all the difference

Cheese on its own is good, but with the right accompaniments it becomes something special:

• Bread and crackers: choose a neutral variety that doesn’t overpower the cheese. Pavesi crackers are perfect.
• Fruit: grapes, figs, apple or pear. The sweetness contrasts beautifully with salty and bold cheeses.
• Nuts: walnuts are the classic choice. Almonds also pair well with hard cheeses.
• Something sweet: fig bread, honey or a chutney. Honey on blue cheese is heavenly.

Presentation tips

Use a wooden board or a stone platter. Place the soft cheeses toward the edge (easier to cut), the hard ones in the center. Give each cheese its own knife to prevent flavors from mixing.

Take the cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Cold cheese tastes flat. At room temperature, all the flavors and aromas are free to shine.

Want to taste for yourself?

At Cheese In A Box, we carry these cheeses freshly cut in our range: